First Encounter
by Kaitos-V-ibrator
Summary: As Chris adjusts to life at Heartland tower after his father's passing, he stumbles across young Kaito who is in a kind of grieving of his own.


Shrugging off his lab coat, Chris rubbed at his eyes wearily as he felt the sun set upon his pale skin.

His legs weighing him to the ground as his meek grimace stared out through the paned glass before him, Chris wondered idly to himself how the day had passed by so quickly.

It felt as if he had just shut his eyes for a moment to feel the warm rays pass through him, but his gazer's alarm alerted him that no,

No this was the sun rising.

Rubbing his bangs out of his face, Chris cursed to himself. He had spent another night just...

Starring.

He wasn't sure what he was suppose to be doing at night anymore.

Since the incident with a few bullies that had been giving Michael and Thomas trouble at the orphanage, he had been banned after late hours.

Those late hours were usually, if not always, the only time off so...

The ache in his chest longing to hold his baby brother's merely worsened.

Thomas was becoming more and more distant with him lately, feeling a sense of betrayal with his absence. Though little Michael always held fast to an eager smile, just grateful the three were together for a time.

On these lonesome nights Chris found himself either bawling into his pillow, cursing his father for leaving them, or just...

Starring.

Unfeeling, not moving, and hardly taking in a breath.

A numb kind of meditation that allowed the hours to slip by restlessly before him, giving him an escape from the empty nights away from everything he loved.

Father's friend, Mr-Dr. Faker had been kind enough to assist him in finding his father-

Well of course he was. He had been father's best friend since they were little. As somber as the older man was, Chris couldn't help but feel a glowing sort of encouragment with him around.

He hadn't quit on his father.

After the expedition, the man had come back alone with a solid face, telling Chris to inform his mother and his brothers that...his father and Mr. Tsukumo had gone missing.

Chris had shrieked at the old man in a most undignified fashion, throwing every insult he had come across in his young life over at the elder.

Yet he still took him in and helped arrage for a safe place for his brother's to stay.

Chris felt a bitter kind of surprise when he informed the Dr. that his mother had left them a few months prior to their expedition.

He supposed father didn't want to upset his friend anymore than he already was with his younger son so ill...

Twisting his hair back into a simple braid to immitate his father's, Chris stood up to meet the day.

He wasn't suppose to meet the elder until later in the day, so had a few hours to himself.

Any other day he would make the trip down to the orphanage to visit Thomas and Michael, but with only two hours time he wouldn't be able to make the bus trip and back before his meeting.

The area around Heartland tower was nice though...he could...perhaps look around?

Chris looked at his tired old reflection, finding himself tearing over once again.

He felt like he would never stop grieving. But he...needed to keep his head straight.

Any amount of time he had to himself felt so wasteful. He needed to do something productive.

Heading off to the bathroom now to clean himself up, Chris hugged himself as he allowed himself a brief moment of happiness as he looked down at his old family portrait.

He and Michael were sitting with father, while Thomas laid down with their old dog. Father had insisted that Thomas sit in his lap, but the younger boy began bawling that, "Doggy would be all alone then. He's part of the family too, dad!"

Chris and his father shared in a bout of laughter at this, Chris scooping up Thomas into a kiss before his father got the chance. Chris couldn't remember what they had initally named the dog, but as they had gotten it when Thomas still toddled around on his knees, the young boy adamentely called him 'doggy'.

Being the one who dangled onto the fluffy creature moreso out of the three, the name stuck. Their precious doggy would respond to no one other than, 'Doggy'.

Kissing his baby brother's faces in the pictures a couple dozen times as he recalled this warm memory, Chris brushed away his tears for the final time that morning.

He would go study for the morning.

It wouldn't be much, but he needed to keep his mind occupied. If he was working, he wouldn't feel sad. He would be able to fill himself up until he collapsed. That was the best way to handle things right now...anything to get him out of this irksome bout of depression.

Fully satisfied that he didn't look like a sobbing wreck anymore, Chris tossed back on his jacket and headed out.

It was only a couple of hours anyways, he'd be fine.

Keeping his shoulders straight and square as he brisked through the empty, well lit halls, Chris bawlked upon coming across a young boy sobbing outside one of the rooms.

The boys sleeves were pushed up past his elbows, dress shirt wrinkling in all the wrong areas as his body heaved with thick, heavy tears.

Feeling his heart jumping in time with his quickening pace, Chris hurried over towards the boy and grasped his shoulders lightly.

"S-sorry, sir...k-keep walking..." A dull, yet honestly apologetic tone choked out of boy. He didn't sound too much younger than Chris, but seeing someone in pain like this...

It wasn't quite like if Thomas scraped his knee, or if Michael tattled on Thomas...

But it stretched his heart strings in a manner that brought up his naturally defensive nature.

"Come...here..." Chris soothed him lightly, too concerned for the boy's well being to really care that he was embracing an obvious stranger.

The boy however froze as Chris gently took him in his arms, rubbing his back carefully as he carefully pressed their foreheads together.

"I..." The boy was speechless, choking having subsided, breathed heavily as he met the other boys eyes.

"How are you feeling? Are you hurt?" Pulling away, but still loosely holding his arms, Chris gave the boy his full attention.

"I'm-...you're...smiling?" The boy frowned, feeling like he wanted to disapear. He didn't need anyone to look after him like he was some kind of baby...

"Ah...it's just that...well, I was crying just like this not ten minutes ago," Chris admitted, grin widening as the boy's eyes shot open in surprise.

"H-huh..?"

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, my name is Chris. You are?"

"K...Kaito...umm, w-why were you crying?" Looking back to the door behind him, Kaito began fiddling his his bangs in apprehension.

He wasn't exactly used to talking to anyone his age or...anyone really, spare a few nurses here and there.

"It's...kind of a long story...umm, would you like to take a walk with me? Some fresh air might help," Not wanting to sound entirely dismissive of the other's question, Chris tried to make a weak offer. He didn't want to go dumping his whole life's story on some poor kid out of nowhere...

"I-umm...j-just a second." Not moving under Chris' gaze, Chris looked a bit confused and nodded to Kaito as if giving him permission for the 'second'. "Umm..."

"Yes?"

"Can I...have my arms back?" Kaito weakly grinned, not wanting to be too aggresive with the other. He...seemed like a nice enough guy? Ah well, these kinda people didn't stick around too long. Haruto's illness scared them off pretty quickly.

"Oh! Umm, yes-sorry..." Relaxing his grip, Chris stood awkwardly as Kaito opened the door to walk over to an empty bed.

"Hey..are you awake yet? Ah...no, that's okay little guy. I'll be back in a little bit, you rest up, okay?" Chris cautiously made his way behind Kaito, finding that he was speaking to a frighteningly small boy in the bed.

"Is he...I mean..."

"This is my little brother, Haruto. He's...not feeling well." Kaito explained with forced cheer.

How bitter must it be for the child to hear such an overly softened tone...

Scrunching up his brows as he moved past Kaito, Chris leaned in to whisper into Haruto's ear,

"Oh he says that now, but just you wait. In a couple years you'll be much taller than him, and be able to carry him around like nothing! That's why you gotta' keep resting, so you can be strong to take care of him too, okay?"

Chris felt himself swell up with pride as the little boy laying before him gasped out a small giggle, brows now relaxing a bit.

Kaito felt his heart jolt up into his throat hearing the sound, gripping Chris' arm in shock.

Quickly realizing the boy was attempting to tap his arm, Chris skillfully deduced he was wondering who he was,

"Ah! And my name is Chris, Haruto. I'm a friend of your brother's! Amazing, huh! A dork like him getting a friend as cool as me," Now grinning like a doofus as Haruto began laughing out even louder, Chris winked at Kaito swiftly, feeling himself flush darkly as the boy before him beamed at him with a confused kind of admiration.

"Ah, excuse me-it's time for Haruto's check-up," a nurse knocked from the door much to the boy's disapproval. Kaito nodded though, kissing Haruto on the forehead briefly, before taking Chris' hand and leading him out the door.

"Oh...pardon me for making jokes at your expense, you see-" Chris started to apologize, seeing the boy breaking out in fresh tears,

"Thank you." Was all Kait could manage, dragging Chris into his surprisingly firm embrace. Too relieved to have at least done this boy some good, Chris reached his arms around the other and returned the embrace with equal force.

"Of course...I have two younger brothers myself."

"You do? Where are they-I mean, are you visiting here for something...u-umm.." Not wanting to let go of the seemingly blessed creature that had made his brother laugh, Kaito soon felt it dawn upon him that he knew nothing spare his name.

"Ah...well...I'm conducting a bit of reasearch here, see...my father went missing and I...I've had to...s-send them away while I look for him..." Chris trailed off, waiting for Kaito's sympathetic apologizes,

But what he was met with was a firey gaze.

"That's-amazing of you. Do you need any help? I...I'm not much...I can't...really..."

"Can you duel?" Chris implored, feeling his pulse increase seeing the boy's fiereceness.

"Not really that well, but-"

"I'll teach you then." Chris grinned, grasping Kaito by the shoulders and patting them in time, "So you can be stronger and protect your Haruto. Like how I want to protect my Michael and Thomas."

"R-really-I-I mean, thank you-" Kaito stammered, cheeks glowing by the sudden offer. "Is there anything I can do...for you I mean,"

"It will be good for me..." Chris trailed off, a slow smile pinching his cheeks upward, "If you're not sleeping, meet me around midnight."

"Midnight?" Wondering for a moment if Chris was trying to be dramatic with the timing, Kaito quickly shut away his critisism seeing his friend-mentor gaze off down the hall,

"I've got work to do. But I should be free by then." He nodded, stepping back to give Kaito a quick smile, "I expect your full dedication, Kaito."

"Of course." Now standing up straight to smile in a determined fashion up at Chris, Kaito held out his hand for Chris to shake.

Taking the other's hand in a firm, steady grip, Chris felt himself burst with purpose.

This was really the start of something...good.


End file.
